Star Traks: The Vexed Generation was created by Anthony Butler. It's
based on Alan Decker's Star Traks, which in turn is based on Star Trek,
created by Gene Roddenberry. Paramount and Viacom, their dark
masters, own everything. Anthony Butler made that annoying opening
themesong disappear.
Copyright 1999. All rights, such as they are, are reserved.
If you're offended by mildly disturbing language, situations, and the utter
disregard of some of Star Trek's greatest premises, better hit the "Back"
button on your browser right now. If not, welcome aboard!
STAR TRAKS: THE VEXED GENERATION
"Just a Larkin"
BY ALAN DECKER
Lieutenant Commander Chris Richards stepped over a tangled
mass of isolinear cable then deftly dodged two starbase engineers
carrying a new section of plasma conduit as he made his way to the
Calypso Cafe'. Work on reconverting the converted cruise ship
Galaxy Explorer back into the plain, old Explorer was progressing
well; although, Richards himself was finding little joy in the
task. Sure he was glad to be back on board and to have the ship
reassigned to its original mission, but his own life wasn't going
back to normal quite so easily.
As Richards had hoped, the cafe was pretty much deserted
when he entered. Most of the crew was off on shore leave or in
therapy recovering from their run-in with the Starshine Kids.
Richards wanted therapy of a slightly different variety.
"Commander," Mirk said somewhat surprised as Richards
took a stool at the bar. "How can I help you?"
"I don't know, but I sure need help."
"Do you need me as a bartender or a spiritual advisor?" Mirk
asked, rummaging under the bar and pulling out his priest robe.
"I think I have a nice juicy guava we can pray over."
"That's okay. Just give me a pina colada and pull up a
stool."
"Uh...how about a nice beer instead?"
"Nah. I'm in the mood for something...fruity."
"I've got some wonderful microbrews from Dantag 7."
"I don't think so."
"You're Maloxitarian!" Mirk suddenly shouted. "You
can't have the f***ing fruit!"
"Ooookay," Richards said, wiping the spit off his face
Mirk projected at him. "A beer sounds great."
"Coming right up!" Mirk said cheerfully moving back to the
cooler where he kept the high quality, non-replicated stuff.
Richards took a moment to look around. Out the viewports,
workbees zipped around the Explorer removing the day-glow paint
job, prying off the observation domes and filling in the swimming
pool that had been dug on the rear of the upper saucer. In a few
more days, the ship would finally be ready to leave the starbase.
Turning his attention back to the inside of the cafe,
Richards couldn't help but notice that the place was a bit more
bare than usual, and it wasn't just due to the lack of customers.
The palm trees were gone. And so were the thatched wall
coverings.
"Are you redecorating?" Richards asked as Mirk set the
beer down in front of him.
"We're...in flux at the moment," Mirk said non-committally.
"But what's on your mind?"
"Kris," Richards said with a deflated sigh.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather talk to Counselor
Peterman?" Mirk said nervously.
"She's got her support group for spouses of Starfleet
officers who've been naughty."
"Whew," Mirk said relieved. "I guess you have to talk to
me then. There's no other choice."
Richards chuckled softly. "Don't worry, pal. I won't let
her hurt you for stepping on her turf...although, I haven't seen a
good mud wrestling match in a while."
"Apples and oranges of space, defend us."
"Who said that? Chiquita Banana or Del Monte?"
"Don't make me perform another purification ritual on you."
"Hey! Sorry. Forget I said anything. I'm still trying to
get the cherry juice out of my boxers."
"Now what's troubling you, my son?"
"I'm almost twice your age."
"But I am your spiritual elder. Now spill it."
"All right. You know Larkin and I went off with Kris for
a while, right?"
"Yes. While the rest of us were busy defending the
quadrant. I remember."
"I was busy, too!" Richards snapped defensively.
"Of course. I'm sorry. Go on."
"Well, Kris had to take her ship in for some maintenance, so
we thought it'd be the perfect chance to spend some time
together...as a family."
"So far, so good," Mirk said, sitting down to listen.
"That's what I thought," Richards said. He took a long
drink of his beer. "Kris had some other ideas."
TWO WEEKS EARLIER
Richards shifted his backpack from one shoulder to the
other and entered the small transporter room on Kris Larkin's
freighter, the Daisy II. He immediately slammed his knee into a
crate, one of many filling the room. Larkin, the android
version, looked up from the contents of another crate she was
checking.
"Are you injured, father?" Larkin asked.
"I'm fine," Richards said. "But what is all this stuff?"
"Supplies for our excursion."
"We're only going to be gone for a few days."
"I am aware of that. I believe that I only packed the
essentials."
"What do you consider essential?"
"Remote environmental control units, portable replicator,
clothing synthesizer, matter reclamation unit, defensive grid."
"Kristen, this is camping. The idea is to rough it."
"'Rough it.' Then I should leave the defensive grid here."
"Right."
"And the automatic phaser cannon?"
"Definitely. We're going to enjoy nature, not obliterate
it."
"I understand. I will remove the unnecessary items."
"Good idea," Richards said as Larkin picked up two huge
crates and exited the room. Kris, the human version, walked in
a moment later carrying a pack similar to Richards's.
"Is she taking up weight-lifting?" Kris asked smiling.
"Classic case of over-packing."
Kris wrapped her arms around Richards and kissed him.
"You still sure you want to take her along?" she asked once the
kiss had ended.
"We need to spend some time with her," Richards said.
"Get her used to us being together. And it's not like we're able
to do a lot of father/daughter bonding on the Explorer. Besides,
she'll be in a different tent," Richards said.
"But that'll still mean we have to be quiet," Kris replied
with a glint in her eyes. "I don't like being quiet."
"I could sneak in her tent and turn her off," Richards
said.
"So long as you come back and turn me on."
"Count on it." As they kissed again, the doors of the room
slid open.
"Do you wish to be alone?" Larkin said. "I have no desire
to interrupt your copulation."
"We're just finalizing some last minute details," Kris said.
"Indeed," Larkin said grabbing two more crates.
"Kris, we're entering orbit," the voice of Bort, her Bolian
partner, said over the comm system.
"Thanks, Bort. We're ready to beam down," Kris replied.
"You sure you don't mind making the trip to Midacos all by
your lonesome?"
"Don't worry about a thing," Bort said. "I think I can
handle getting the nacelles realigned. You folks enjoy the
scenery."
"Will do," Kris said, stepping up onto the transporter pad
followed by Richards.
"I have not finished removing unnecessary items," Larkin
said.
"Skip it," Kris said. "Just grab your pack and the tents."
Larkin did as she was told and joined Kris and Richards on the
transporter. "Beam us down, Bort. Oh, there's a bit of a mess in
the transporter room for you to clean up."
"Joy. Energizing."
Richards, Kris, and Larkin materialized in a clearing
deep inside a dense forest of towering redwoods. At least they
would have been redwoods on Earth. Here they were more of
purple-woods, maybe fuchsia.
"Well, this is it!" Kris said. "Home for the next five days."
"It's great," Richards said looking around. Even though
he wasn't too thrilled about being left on an uninhabited moon in
a remote star system for close to a week, he had to admit it was
breathtaking.
"Do we now set up camp?" Larkin asked.
"Relax, honey," Kris said, putting her hand on her android
twin's shoulder. "We're on vacation. Enjoy the scenery."
"Are we going to 'enjoy the scenery' for the next five
days?"
"Basically yes," Kris said. "You've spent too much time on
starships. You need to get in touch with nature."
"I am not a part of nature as you are. I have no need to
'get in touch.'"
"Then consider it a new experience," Richards said.
"You've never really roughed it before."
"I have found many of our missions on the Explorer to be
quite rough."
"I don't think we're getting anywhere," Kris said to
Richards as she leaned against him. "You feel like taking a
nature walk?" Richards could hear an edge of innuendo in her
voice.
"Kristen, why don't you stay here and get acclimated to your
surroundings," Richards said. "We'll be back in a while."
"A mat of leaves or pine shats will reduce chafing during
copulation," Larkin replied.
"Uh...thanks for the tip," Richards said. Arm in arm, he
and Kris headed off into the forest.
"She is way too involved in our sex life," Richards said
once they had gone a few hundred yards.
"And how involved are you in hers?" Kris asked.
"She doesn't have one."
"She doesn't? Why not?"
"She's an android."
"That doesn't mean she can't date."
"She doesn't want to date."
"How do you know? Have you asked her?" Kris said.
"No!"
"Chris, you've got to get over this protective daddy thing.
She's her own being...and a really sheltered one at that."
"Sheltered? Are you kidding? She's seen more on the
Explorer than most people see in their whole lives!" Richards
exclaimed.
"Not that kind of sheltered. She's seeing the galaxy, but
she's not learning what it means to be a woman."
"But she's not a woman. She's an android that happens to
have a female shape."
"Then why are you calling her a she?"
"Can we just drop this? We're supposed to be relaxing."
"Whatever you say, daddy."
"Please don't do that."
"Just kidding, hon. You're so sensitive."
"That's why you love me, right?" Richards said.
"Right," Kris said, moving in for a kiss.
Much to Richards's relief, that was the end of the
discussion. In all honesty, he didn't have a good answer to Kris'
question. Larkin was called she because she was called she.
That's just the way it was. But it wasn't like she was going to
start dating or get married. The idea was ridiculous. Larkin
was an android. Androids didn't care about that sort of thing.
Back in the Calypso Cafe, Richards fell silent for a
moment as a smile slowly spread across his face. "About two hours
later..."
"Hold on a second!" Mirk exclaimed. "What about those two
hours?"
"Nothing you need to know about. You're a chaste servant of
the Directors now."
"They never said anything about being chaste!" Mirk said.
"Mirk, have you ever had sex?" Richards asked sharply.
"Um..."
"Exactly. Until you have stories of your own to tell, I'm
not sharing the details of mine. About two hours later..."
Hand in hand, Richards and Kris strolled leisurely back
towards the clearing. They were so lost in each other that it
took them a few moments to realize that there were some most
unforest-like sounds in the air.
BAM!
BAM!
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
"Are we being attacked?" Kris asked idly.
"Kristen!" Richards shouted alarmed, as he dashed away
from Kris, fumbling for his hand phaser.
"So much for chivalry," Kris muttered as she ran to catch up
with him.
The clearing was a disaster. Smoldering trees littered the
ground as Richards and Kris approached.
"Kristen! Are you all right?" Richards cried, frantically
looking under felled trees and limbs.
"Uh, Chris..." Kris said, gazing off towards the edge of the
clearing.
"Not now. She could be damaged."
"I am fine, Father," Larkin's voice said from behind
Richards. He whirled around, following Kris' gaze to the source
of the voice.
At the edge of the clearing, Larkin stood covered in
sawdust but otherwise looking none the worse for wear.
Looming behind her, stood a brand new log cabin.
Richards's mouth gaped open in astonishment.
"Is there a problem?" Larkin asked.
"Wow!" Kris said finally. "It's..."
"Incredible!" Richards finished. He entered the cabin,
his voice still audible to those outside. "But Kristen, we're
supposed to be roughing it."
"I am aware of that; however, I was, for lack of a better
term, bored. You were gone for a significant amount of time. I
felt the need to keep myself occupied," Larkin said.
"I understand," Richards said from inside. "But we can't
use this. We're supposed to be communing with nature....does this
toilet really work?"
FLUSH!
As evening fell across the forest, Larkin, Richards, and
Kris cleared up the fallen trees Larkin had chopped down in her
construction of the cabin, then sat down to dinner. It was a
quiet affair. Larkin sat quietly, lost in her positronic net,
as Richards and Kris sat close together, whispering and giggling
happily.
"I believe I will retire," Larkin said finally, standing
up from the chair she had carved out of a stump. Richards and
Kris were, at that moment, falling over each other in another fit
of love-struck laughter.
Larkin stood silently watching them, waiting for
acknowledgment. Finally, Richards realized he was being
watched.
"Something wrong, Kristen?" he said finally.
"I said that I am going to retire to the cabin," Larkin
replied. "You would have heard me the first time if you had not
been otherwise occupied."
"The cabin?" Richards said, ignoring the almost-snappish
comment from the android. "I thought we were roughing it."
"As I stated earlier, I have no need to get back to nature.
I am a construct; the cabin is a construct, albeit a primitive
one. I believe the goals of this excursion will be fulfilled by
my staying within."
"You can sleep wherever you want, honey," Kris said.
"Good night."
"I do not sleep, but I appreciate the sentiment. Good
night." Larkin quickly turned on her heel and entered the
cabin, shutting the door and turning on the inside lights she'd
installed.
"What's with her?" Kris asked as Richards dove in to
nuzzle her neck.
"Huh?" Richards replied distractedly.
"Your daughter seems upset," Kris said.
"She's an android; she can't get upset," Richards said.
"So much for your parenting skills," Kris said, pulling
away from Richards. She walked over to her pack and pulled out
the tent.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Richards demanded.
"Are you going to help me or what?"
Richards grabbed the ropes and tent stakes out of his own
pack and went to help Kris set up the large tent the two of them
were sharing on this excursion.
"I just think she's more human than you realize," Kris said
after the two had worked in silence for a couple of minutes.
"And I think you're too easily fooled by a bit of
sophisticated programming. She's always like that."
"Come on, Chris. You're her dad, and you're running around
with the woman she's modeled after. If that's not enough to send
the poor girl into therapy, I don't know what is."
"She's not a girl!" Chris shouted louder than he intended
to. "Why can't you get that through your head?"
"Can you even consider the possibility that she's jealous?"
"Jealous!" Chris said, trying to control his laughter. "Of
what?"
"She's the third wheel. We have each other, and she's got
nobody. It's as much my fault as it is yours. I didn't even
think about how our displays of affection in front of her must be
making her feel."
"But she can't feel."
"Yes she can," Kris said. "It may not be in the way you and
I think of it, and she may not even realize it, but she does most
certainly feel. I could see the look on her face when she stormed
off to the cabin. She should be out dating, meeting men,
experiencing life. Instead she's stuck here with daddy and his
new girlfriend. That drove me nuts when I was a teenager, too."
"Teenager? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Hutcherson activated his clone of me 13 years ago right?"
"About," Richards conceded.
"Then she's a teenager. Right on the cusp of puberty
actually. No wonder she's jealous. You have to let go, Chris.
She needs to start seeing boys."
"This is ridiculous," Richards said, hammering one of the
stakes into the ground. He smacked it so hard, it buried itself
two inches underground.
"Maybe so, but it's certainly got you worked up."
"Maybe I don't like people telling me how to be a parent,"
Richards snapped.
"People? I'm just a 'people' now? I more than anyone
should have a say as to what happens to that girl," Kris said,
going toe to toe with Richards.
"Since when were you mother of the year?" Richards said.
"I didn't see you there consoling her when she first remembered
her origins."
"You were lost in the Delta Quadrant!" Kris screamed. "I
couldn't f***ing be there even if I wanted to!"
"Ah ha!" Richards exclaimed. "'If you wanted to'! Don't
start trying to play Miss Parent now, missy. You have no domain
in that part of my life. You're just my girlfriend, got it!"
"Pardon me if I decline that honor, your highness," Kris
said angrily. She tossed a stake into the ground, missing
Richards's boot by inches, and, scooping up her pack, stormed
away.
"Where do you think you're going?" Richards shouted.
"Inside. It's gotten decidedly frosty out here." Kris
practically kicked open the door of the cabin, raced inside, then
slammed the door shut with a bang that echoed through the woods,
silencing every insect in a two hundred yard radius.
"Ouch," Mirk said, wincing at the vision of Kris storming
away. The bartending religious leader had finally pulled up a
stool and sat down next to Richards.
"Tell me about it," Richards said, taking another long
pull on his rapidly disappearing beer. "I ended up spending the
night outside and alone. Occasionally, I could hear Kris' voice
echoing out of the cabin. It wasn't until later that I found out
what she and Kristen were talking about."
Lt. Commander Larkin looked up from her work as the door
to the cabin flew open then rapidly slammed shut. If it were
possible to measure anger, Kris' readings would have likely
destroyed most scanning instruments. Larkin observed the
evident wide-eyed fury and heaving chest as Kris seethed.
"I take it you have had a disagreement with my father,"
Larkin said. Kris stared at Larkin for a moment. Slowly, the
human forced a smile across her face.
"No no no," Kris said jovially. "I thought we should do
some girl stuff."
"'Girl stuff,'" Larkin repeated flatly. "And what does
this entail?"
"We're going to have a slumber party!" Kris said, pulling
her sleeping bag out of her pack.
"A party to celebrate sleep?" Larkin asked confused.
"No. We'll lay on the floor, toast some marshmallows, talk
about guys. That sort of thing. Get your sleeping bag out."
"That will be unnecessary," Larkin said, holding up a
sheet of leaves she was in the process of sewing together. "The
foliage on this world is remarkably strong. I have constructed
beds, mattresses, sheets, and pillows."
"Even better," Kris said, striding over to Larkin. "Let's
get to it."
"To what?"
"You'll see."
After several hours had passed, Kris and Larkin lay in
their own freshly-built twin beds staring out the skylight in the
ceiling in the cabin's bedroom. Kris lay casually lost in
thought, her hands clasped under her head. Larkin lay stiff as
a board, analyzing the stability of the mattress underneath her.
"You ever make love?" Kris asked finally.
"I am incapable of love. If you are referring, however, to
the act of copulation, yes, I have participated in that activity.
But I was not aware at the time."
"You were raped?"
"My previous body at one time held the consciousness of
Spock. Neither of us were in control of our body at the time,
though. James Kirk had sex with us, thinking that I was a willing
yeoman. Of course, this occurred many years in the past."
"Forget I asked."
"Impossible, but I will mention it no further," Larkin
said. She was quiet for a moment. "There was another time in
which I copulated with a Tellarite in order to secure a treaty."
"But you've never had sex because you wanted to. You've
never fallen in love and shared yourself," Kris said.
"As I stated, I am incapable of love."
"What about Chris? He's your father. Surely you love
him...in a father/daughter kind of way."
"He is my co-creator. I have no feelings for him beyond
that."
"What about dating? Do you date?"
"I have not," Larkin said. "I do not believe that
Commander Richards would approve of such a course of action."
"Who cares about him? What do you want to do?"
"While I have no desire to be human, I have observed that
relationships evoke a great many responses both positive and
negative in those that experience them. I am curious to have some
of these experiences for myself."
"So you want to date!" Kris said, sitting up and peering at
Larkin through the darkness.
"That would be acceptable."
"Did you have anyone in mind?"
"At first, I had thought that Commander Data of the
Enterprise would be the obvious choice, but he is as inexperienced
at relationships as I am. I will require someone with more..."
"Experience?"
"Exactly," Larkin said. "On the Explorer, there were
several possible candidates; however, the current situation has
put all of our positions in flux. I do not believe that I wish to
join the crew of the Galaxy Explorer, so I will be separated from
many of them. Besides, I have observed that serving with a person
you are in a relationship with can present difficulties."
"Captain Baxter and Counselor Peterman seem to be making it
work."
"Not at the moment."
"Oh," Kris said. "Okay. So you want someone with
experience who you do not serve with."
"Precisely. Also, I wish to already know them. And they
should possess some sort of intellect."
"Sounds like you know exactly who you want."
"Indeed," Larkin said. "Captain Alexander Rydell."
"Wait, I know that name," Kris said, lost in thought. The
light dawned. "I don't know, Kristen. I've got a friend who's
got the hots for Captain Rydell. She's another smuggler."
"Karina Durham," Larkin said. "I have made her
acquaintance. Are they currently seeing each other?"
"No. She hasn't run into him in a while, but I know she'd
like to."
"Then I will simply have to act first. Captain Rydell's
mixture of experience, intelligence, and compassion is ideal for
my needs."
"I won't tell Karina."
"Thank you. I appreciate that."
The two women, one real and one artificial, were again
silent for a few moments.
"Kris," Larkin began.
"Yes, darlin'."
"Would you assist me?"
"With what?"
"I do not know how to entice someone to enter a relationship
with me. Walking up to Captain Rydell and asking him bluntly to
please date me seems inappropriate."
Kris laughed and moved over to sit on Larkin's bed.
"Don't you worry about a thing," she said, taking the android's
hand. "I'm not sure if I'm your mother, your sister, or your
crazy aunt, but I'll make sure you know what you're doing. It's
all in what you say and how you say it. And with looks like ours,
that Captain Rydell doesn't stand a chance."
Richards woke up the next morning exactly the way he'd
gone to bed: alone.
The cabin was quiet. Richards thought about storming in
and continuing his fight with Kris...or about maybe just walking
in and apologizing. In the end, he did neither. Instead, he
grabbed his pack and headed off into the forest.
A couple of kilometers away from camp, he found what he was
looking for, a good, tall stump. He opened his pack and pulled
out a set of carving tools. Activating the laser saw, he gently
removed the first later of dead bark from the stump and set about
creating.
While he worked, Richards's mind wandered to the situation
with Kris. The question he found himself asking over and over was
"Did they really have a relationship?" It was hard to say. At
one point he thought he loved her. He was almost sure of it. But
now...now they seemed to spend at least half of their time
arguing.
What did he see in her anyway? She was a smuggler, a
reckless one at that. In the short time he and Kristen had been
aboard the Daisy II, Richards had been forced to pull off an
engineering miracle to save them from dissatisfied customers on
two separate occasions. Sure, the Explorer experienced its share
of danger, but the crew didn't actively go looking for it...usually.
And what did they have to talk about? Or in common? Very
little, if anything. Kristen seemed to be their only real link
anymore...and all they did was argue about her. So why was he
with this woman? It was something he couldn't really answer.
The stump was now beginning to take on a vaguely human
shape...feminine even, with long hair cascading over her
shoulders. Richards carefully carved a Starfleet insignia pin
on her chest and moved on to the facial features.
He had completed one eye when he stopped and stepped
back to look at his work. It was her. Not Kris. Not Larkin.
Browning. All this time had passed since the end of their
relationship, and his mind was still pulling stunts like this.
"Damn it!" Richards screamed to no one in particular. In
a furious motion, he turned the laser saw up to maximum and
obliterated any sign of the stump. He looked up at the sky. The
sun was already beginning to set. He'd completely lost track of
time, as often happened when he was deep into his work. Quickly
packing up his gear, he made his way back to camp.
As he headed through the woods toward the Kris-less tent
that he knew was waiting for him, he again asked himself how he'd
gotten into this. Really, it wasn't so much a question as a
desire not to face the answer. Browning was why he was in this
mess. The two of them were finished, and Richards needed someone,
anyone to fill the loneliness. Fortunately, Kris had come along.
Richards entered the clearing where his tent and the cabin
stood. Tired and hungry, he headed for his tent.
He had to get out of the relationship before things got
worse, before he could hurt her any worse than he probably
already had. He had to talk to her, end things.
Upon entering his tent, none of those thoughts mattered.
Kris was there, dressed in some incredibly arousing black
lace lingerie, laying on his sleeping bag.
"I had wondered if you would return this evening," Kris
said, her eyes locked on his.
"Just out for a walk," Richards said, his hormones taking
over. He put his pack down and crawled up next to her. "I'm glad
to see you've gotten over last night."
Kris didn't say a word. She stared more deeply into his
eyes, then suddenly grabbed his head, pulling him in for a
passionate kiss.
Richards's mind reeled as their tongues intertwined. Kris
seemed so...aggressive this evening. She was...not Kris!
In a panic, Richards leapt away screaming as he wiped his
mouth.
"LARKIN!"
"Yes, father?" Larkin replied, sitting straight up and
looking as innocent as was possible in lingerie of that sort.
"Wha...what the hell are you doing?"
"Homework," Larkin replied flatly. "How did you know
I was not Kris?"
"Know! How did I know?!? You try to seduce your own
father, and you want to know how I knew?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
"I believe that you will find these histrionics to be
unproductive. I simply wished to know where I erred and
revealed my identity."
"Kris has two broken molars on the right side of her mouth,"
Richards said. "Now stay here!"
Richards stormed towards the tent exit as Larkin spoke.
"I should accompany you if you plan on confronting Kris."
Richards turned on her, his eyes blazing.
"YOU WILL STAY HERE, GOD DAMN
IT!!!"
Larkin, wisely, did not reply as Richards stomped
furiously over to the cabin.
Kris was inside, sitting on the sofa watching the holovision
display Larkin had rigged up. It was nothing fancy; it only got
4 channels, but it was better than nothing.
"Isn't this one of yours?" Kris asked nonchalantly as she
gestured to the "Days of Honor" rerun playing on the holovision.
"Yes...and turn that damn thing off!" Richards snapped.
"This is a tantrum-free zone," Kris replied. "Go get back
to nature until you're ready to talk like a normal human being.
Bort will have probably picked us up by then, but that's not the
point." She fixed a sarcastic grin on him.
Richards picked up the holovision and drop kicked it back
into the bedroom. Kris' grin didn't falter.
"Saw that one coming," she remarked.
"Just what the f*** did you think you were doing?"
"Watching the holo, which I'm not anymore, thanks to you."
"You know what I mean!" Richards bellowed. "Why did you
send Kristen into my tent?"
"She needed the practice. You were available."
"Practice! PRACTICE! For what? The Incest Follies?"
"You said yourself that she's just an android. She's a
machine with a sexual capability. We were merely honing that
ability on the closest available male, which, unfortunately, was
you."
"That's not what you were doing, and you know it."
"Do I?"
"You're filling my daughter's head with your own f***ed up
view of how the universe works. Maybe you can't live without a
man in your life, but she can!"
"Me?" Kris shouted, standing up and storming towards
Richards. "I was doing just fine on my own. You're the one who
can't stand being alone. How long was it between Browning and
me? A couple of months? Poor baby."
"This isn't about me," Richards protested. "It's about
Kristen."
"It's totally about you. Why are you so scared to let her
date? Why? You know why? Because you're afraid she'll find
someone and leave. On the one hand, you want her to be a
daughter. You can control that. She has a bond with you. But
you won't let her grow up. You're scared s***less that she'll get
her own life."
"She has her own life."
"With you," Kris said. "Can she even make a move on that
ship without you knowing about it?"
"This is ridiculous."
"Ah, the famous words of people who know they're wrong."
Richards was silent for a moment, the fight knocked out of
him. He looked into Kris' eyes, his attitude softening.
"I can't do this anymore," Richards said. "I just can't."
"Neither of us can," Kris replied. "You needed someone.
And, you're right, I did too."
"We just picked the wrong people."
Kris smiled weakly. "You could say that."
"So what do we do?"
"I'll contact Bort. He should be done with the repairs by
now. We'll get you to a starbase."
"And Kristen."
"Kristen can stay with me if she wants. The sooner you
realize that, Chris, the better your relationship with her will be.
You may be her father, but she's not a child."
"I guess not," Richards said.
"But you're going to be one hell of an overprotective
father someday."
"Thanks."
"And that was that," Richards said, finishing off the last
of his second beer. "Bort showed up the next day. We packed up
and left. A couple of hours later, the call from Captain Baxter
came in."
"So that's it?" Mirk said. "You and Kris are over?"
"Yep."
"Sorry to hear that."
"It's okay. Like a friend of mine used to say, if it's not
right, head for the stars."
"Huh?"
"Never mind," Richards said. "The point is, there'll be
others. A guy can have lots of loves in his life. They come and
go."
"But your children don't," Mirk said, catching on. "What
does Kristen think of all this?"
"I don't know. That's the problem. She stayed on the Daisy
II with Kris. She's due back today...soon."
"Bridge to Lieutenant Commander Richards. Commander
Larkin's shuttle is approaching."
"Now," Mirk said.
"Talk about your timing," Richards muttered. "Thanks for
listening, Mirk."
"No problem, Commander. Come by anytime. You're due for
your next ten day anointing appointment anyway."
"Er...right."
"And, Commander, remember there's more to being a father
than giving orders."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Maybe you should ask my father."
"But you never got along with your father," Richards said.
"Precisely."
Mirk cleared away Richards's empty beer bottles as
Richards headed toward the shuttlebay. He arrived just as
Larkin's shuttle touched down on the deck.
If it weren't for the slight stiffness in her step as she
exited the shuttle, Larkin could have easily been mistaken for
Kris. She was dressed in a flattering, casual outfit and wore a
bit more make-up than usual. Of course, a drop was a bit more
make-up than usual.
"Welcome back, Kristen," Richards said, greeting her at
the shuttle hatch.
"Thank you," Larkin replied.
"How was the trip?"
"Uneventful."
"Well, I missed you around here."
"Indeed."
"How's Kris?"
"She is well. Although, I believe she has been copulating
with Bort. I cannot be sure, however. The Daisy II is quite
noisy, and it is difficult to hear through the bulkheads."
Richards fought back the wave of jealousy threatening to
pour over him. Kris was a free person. She could see whoever
she wanted.
"Glad to hear it," Richards croaked unconvincingly.
"I sincerely doubt it," Larkin replied. "Now, if you will
excuse me, I will return to my quarters."
"Sure, Kristen. Did you want to have dinner tonight?"
"I do not believe so."
Ouch. Richards was not expecting that response.
"Honey, I know my breaking up with Kris is a bit of a
shock, but..."
"Your relationship with Kris does not concern me,"
Larkin interrupted. "You behavior towards me, however,
does."
"Towards you? I don't..."
"I am not a child for you to order around. I am an android
capable of my own choices."
"Kris has been turning you against me. I knew it!"
"Kris did not mention your name once after you left the
ship," Larkin said. "But this has stuck with me." Larkin
activated her voice playback, and Richards's voice blasted from
her lips.
"YOU WILL STAY HERE, GOD DAMN IT!!!"
"Kristen, I was upset," Richards explained.
"That is irrelevant. You treated my as if I were a child.
Looking back on our time together, I have detected a pattern of
such behaviors. I have no need of a 'daddy' in my life."
"Kristen..."
"I believe I have finished discussing the matter," Larkin
said curtly. She walked off down the corridor leaving Richards.
Richards headed in the opposite direction down the mostly
deserted hallway. With most of the crew down on Earth on leave
still, the ship felt...empty.
"Computer, locate Dr. Browning."
"Dr. Browning is in her quarters."
At least Janice was here. He could go and...oh God, Kris was
right. He couldn't be by himself for five minutes.
Slowly, he headed down the hall and then into Transporter
Room Two where Lt. Kamtezen was working on one of the backup
EPS relays.
"Anything I can do for you, sir?" Kamtezen asked as
Richards numbly walked over to the transporter console and
started typing in coordinates.
"You're in charge," Richards replied.
"In charge? Where are you going?"
"Away," Richards said, stepping up onto the transporter
padd. "I need to be alone for a while."
Richards's body was soon enveloped in a blue cascade of
energy.
And then it was gone.
Richards ran a hand along the stubble growing on his face
as he lay on the beach, absently looking up at the stars. The
Explorer hadn't sent out any search parties, so things were
evidently okay up there. It was only a re-refit, and the ship
wouldn't be leaving Earth for several days. He wasn't really
needed there right now. That was fine with him. He was in
no hurry to go back.
At first, he thought about leaving, cursing himself for
beaming onto a deserted island in the first place. But then that
had been the point. He needed to be without people for a while.
The first two nights had been almost impossible. As he lay
in the sand trying to sleep, the crashing waves had sounded like a
roar of voices. Voices of his friends. Kris. Kristen. Janice.
Richards closed his eyes.
But tonight was different.
Tonight, they were just waves.
NEXT:
Life returns to semi-normal as Baxter returns from his restful,
er, imprisonment and the Explorer returns to duty. Okay, it's
not exactly normal at all. Baxter might think he's returning
to his same old ship, but he might get a rude awakening.
And what exactly happened to Captain Ficker and the Escort?
Find out in "Back on Track," next on Star Traks: TVG!